Tastes

Many signs pointed to this bottle being a hit: a craft distillery single malt with a smoky scotch lean & quite a few rave reviews. But in hindsight, there were red flags too, mainly the way-too-short aging of 2 years in the barrel. Upon cracking the bottle, the nose to me was pure acetone. After a week it was vanilla & acetone. At the month mark, the nose revealed butterscotch, vanilla, and...acetone. Better with time but still underwhelming. But it was the palate that really failed. Vanilla bland with some oak and that’s it. I could never really detect the mesquite smoke. A head scratcher. Rating: The Distiller 91 score is baffling as this just hits mid 70s in my book. Such a letdown that I legitimately wonder if I got a bad bottle/batch. Unfortunately it’s unlikely that I’ll ever acquire another bottle or even opt for a pour at the cocktail lounge to find out. Batch No: BBL #48 Bottle No: 96

There are heaps of great distilleries in the whisky world, but if I had to emulate one it would definitely be Springbank. Everything is admirable: *over 100 years of history still owned as a small family business *100% production in-house *old-fashioned floor malting *local barley used *no chill filtration *natural color Even though the Springbank 10 is the lowest rung on their ladder of whisky offerings, it still shines like a star. The nose transports me to the working fishing docks with smoke, slight peat, fish jerky, & salty notes showcased. It’s aggressive but enticing. All those notes reappear on the palate with some additional sweet fruitiness & brine. Every pour gets more enjoyable. A few drops of water softens the rough edges but is not necessary. Rating: Highly rated with a score of 92 that is spot on. I’d probably even go a point or two higher. It’s refreshing to get a modestly priced whisky of such high quality as a throwback to the style of the old days. A no brainer for any collection and my favorite 10 year old bottle (sorry Talisker). Cheers & enjoy

Every time I have a pour I think, “why do I like this so much?” Rye is certainly a lesser traveled whisky road for me, so is it the unfamiliar notes that resonate? Maybe it’s the garden box of herbs & botanicals on the nose? Perhaps the spicy and unusual (for me at least) black licorice/citrus zest/mint/molasses combo on the palate? Whatever it is, the Double Rye is smooth and enjoyable. Rating: the Distiller score seems about right although I’d probably go 2-3 pts less. No reason why this rye shouldn’t have a spot in any cabinet at a very reasonable $34 (can even be found south of $30 for the bargain hunter). Cheers & enjoy